How We Research

Every meaningful fact, number, or legal rule on this site comes from a named source. This page explains the standards we apply to every guide before we publish it.

Source hierarchy

For each topic, we work down a hierarchy from the most authoritative sources to the most accessible:

1. Primary sources (where we start)

• State statutes. For probate fees, small-estate thresholds, intestacy rules, will validity requirements, and creditor claim periods — we cite the statute number directly (e.g., Cal. Prob. Code §10810, N.C.G.S. §28A-23-3). These are the controlling law.
• State court systems. Filing fee schedules, forms, and procedural guidance come from state court websites where available.
• Federal agencies. Tax rules come from IRS publications and guidance (Publication 525, Publication 559, IRS topic pages). Funeral rights come from the FTC Funeral Rule. Social Security guidance comes from SSA.gov.
• Federal estate-tax exemption figures come from IRS annual revenue procedures.

2. Authoritative secondary sources

• National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) for funeral cost statistics — the industry’s standard reference.
• LIMRA for life insurance ownership and gap statistics — the industry’s main research body.
• National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) for insurance regulatory data.
• Insurance Information Institute (III) for neutral insurance industry stats.
• American Bar Association and state bar associations for procedural and ethical guidance.

3. Accessible secondary sources (cross-checks)

Where the primary sources are technical or paywalled, we cross-check against major financial publications and well-regarded legal information sites (NerdWallet, Policygenius, Investopedia, Nolo, FindLaw). We use these to confirm what primary sources say in plain language — we don’t rely on them as the sole source for any meaningful fact.

How we cite

• Every state-specific fact cites the state statute by name and section.
• Every dollar figure has a year and a source.
• Premium ranges are labeled “illustrative, [month/year]” and always include “your rate depends on your age, health, and state — get a personalized quote.”
• Where a fact may have changed since publication, we add a “re-verify before relying” note.

What we don’t do

• We do not invent numbers. If we can’t find a citable source, we either omit the number or label it as a typical practitioner range.
• We do not present single figures for things that vary regionally. Funeral costs in California are not the same as funeral costs in Iowa. Probate timelines depend on the local court. We use ranges.
• We do not rely on a single source for anything important. Major facts are cross-checked across at least two sources.
• We do not republish statutes verbatim where they’re protected by copyright (Westlaw, LexisNexis annotations). We link to the official state code or to Justia’s public-domain mirror.

How we update

Estate planning law changes — sometimes substantially, sometimes quietly:

• Federal estate-tax exemption changes each year and is currently scheduled to revert lower after 2025 unless Congress acts.
• State small-estate thresholds are often adjusted annually for inflation (Michigan, California).
• Probate procedures are amended by state legislatures every session.
• Insurance premium ranges drift with carrier rate changes.

We aim to:

• Date every page with its initial publication date.
• Add an “updated” date when meaningful facts change.
• Re-verify state-specific data annually for our by-state pages.
• Flag pages where time-sensitive facts (e.g., the federal estate-tax sunset) make re-checking essential.

If you find a fact that’s gone stale, please tell us via the Contact page. We post corrections publicly with a dated note at the bottom of the affected page.

Editorial independence

We accept display advertising (Google AdSense) and use affiliate links on some pages. These relationships do not influence what we cover or what we say.

• We do not let advertisers review or edit our content.
• We do not avoid honest “you don’t need this product” framings on pages where saying so loses us potential affiliate income. (Final expense insurance is the clearest example.)
• We do not recommend specific products without disclosing whether we earn from them.

For the legal version of these practices, see our Disclaimer and About pages.

Conflict-of-interest disclosure

The Estate Planning Guide is operated independently. We are not:

• A licensed law firm or affiliated with one
• A licensed insurance agency or affiliated with one
• A licensed financial advisor or affiliated with one

We are an independent publisher of educational content. We don’t sell legal services, insurance policies, financial products, or your data. Where we benefit financially from a link (AdSense placement, affiliate commission), it’s disclosed.

What “educational only” means

Every page on this site carries an educational-only disclaimer because that’s exactly what it is:

• It is general information, not advice on your specific situation.
• It does not create an attorney-client, financial advisor, or insurance agent relationship.
• It may not reflect the most recent change in your state’s law.
• It is not a substitute for talking to a licensed professional in your jurisdiction.

If a page on this site helps you understand a topic well enough to ask better questions of a real professional, it’s done its job. That’s what we’re trying to build.

Contact

To suggest a correction, point out a fact that’s gone stale, or ask about a topic we should cover, use the Contact page.